Chapter 80
Chapter 80
“What’s so difficult? Is it your pride? Weren’t you willing to do anything for Joanna?”
Duchess Beth bit down hard on her lip.
She couldn’t bring herself to nod so easily.
It didn’t seem to be simply a matter of pride.
“You’re afraid of the King of Defying Heaven, I see.”
“…You say that because you don’t know how frightening he is.”
“I do. But what is it you’re so afraid of?”
I spoke as if to provoke her.
“Aren’t you the person closest to the King of Defying Heaven? And yet you can’t even do something as simple as this?”
I wasn’t saying it just to taunt her.
Duchess Beth was privately closer than anyone to the King of Defying Heaven’s “true identity.”
“How do you know the King of Defying Heaven’s identity? Don’t tell me the Ecclesia family has seen through who he is?”
“It’s more surprising that you think they wouldn’t know. The King of Defying Heaven must be committing his evil deeds while keeping to a certain line, since he’s wary of the Ecclesia family.”
Duchess Beth’s eyes grew complicated.
“Aren’t you curious how lenient the King of Defying Heaven might be with you? One way or another, aren’t you the person he favors most?”
“That’s a ridiculous thing to say. He doesn’t care about me in the slightest. We’re simply in a relationship where we each seek our own benefit.”
“Then all the more reason to accept my proposal. It’s a relationship based on calculation anyway. What’s wrong with stabbing him in the back a little?”
“Hah! What nonsense.”
“Or, who knows? Maybe this will make the King of Defying Heaven take even the slightest interest in you. Isn’t anger better than indifference?”
Duchess Beth looked utterly dumbfounded.
But she didn’t raise her voice like before.
There was a hint that my words had given her something to think about.
Considering the “real relationship” between Duchess Beth and the King of Defying Heaven, it wasn’t wrong to say that “anger is better than indifference.”
“…If I really do as you say, can I obtain the Clarity Pill?”
She was saying she would go along with my proposal!
I nodded.
“Yes. It’s entirely possible.”
“Hmph! I’m only cooperating this once because I have no choice, for Joanna’s sake.”
“Good. Then, to start with, fix that insolent way you speak.”
“…What did you say?”
Oh, damn.
Because of all the wrongs she had done in the past, the Black Flame Dragon’s obnoxiousness had manifested.
The corner of my mouth curled up in an irritating smirk, and these words slipped out.
“Am I not your master here at this banquet? Show some proper respect to your master.”
Two days passed.
I enjoyed the banquet with the Massacre Maniac and Duchess Beth at my sides.
Since they were both beautiful women, anyone who didn’t know better might have thought I was surrounded by flowers, but—
‘I’d rather have Hans and Linden as my partners.’
“Oh-ho-ho. Master, here, please have a cocktail. I made it myself.”
Grit.
Duchess Beth ground her teeth behind her mask as she handed me the cocktail.
It was such a vivid red that it looked as if it had been made with fresh blood filled with the energy of a Curse.
And that wasn’t all.
“Hehe, Master~? Would you put that filthy thing aside and drink the juice I made? I made it especially for you, Master. It’s delicious~!”
Smile, smile.
Her voice was bright and coy.
The Massacre Maniac was simply enjoying the situation.
As I’d mentioned before, she wasn’t merely an avenger. She was a pleasure-loving murderer.
She had the nasty habit of tormenting her opponents before killing them, the way a cat plays with a mouse.
‘…Somebody save me.’
I wanted to cry, but the Black Flame Dragon always maintained his lofty bearing.
He accepted the two women’s attentions as if it were only natural, and everyone in the banquet hall watched us.
“The Witch of Cruelty is serving him like that. That Rabbit Mask really must be the King of Defying Heaven.”
“Why would the King of Defying Heaven appear in person?”
“Who knows? The King of Defying Heaven is a mysterious being among the Ten Demons. No one even knows who he really is.”
“There must be some kind of intention behind this.”
“That seems likely. All we can do is hope we don’t get caught up in it.”
Everyone merely watched warily, as if afraid. No one approached me.
It was then.
On the third night.
Just as the atmosphere was beginning to loosen a little, the Jester Mask appeared again.
[Ahaha! Is everyone enjoying the banquet? To add to the festivities, the Dark Auction has prepared a special event for you!]
The look in every attendee’s eyes changed.
The Dark Auction’s events were famous.
For being horrific and vile.
They could simply refuse, but every time, countless people took part in the event.
That was because the rewards were tremendous.
[Were you all satisfied with the auction? Unfortunately, I know that some of you were not. After all, only one person can obtain the item they want at auction. Even the winner may have been dissatisfied with the price they had to pay—more than they expected. So, we’ve prepared something!]
The Jester held out his hand.
[That’s right: a second chance for the losers! If you challenge the auction’s winning bidder to a Duel and win, you can take possession of the item they won!]
The Jester looked around at everyone and continued.
[Of course, the winning bidder must also have some benefit to accepting a Duel. Otherwise, no one would accept a challenge. If the winning bidder wins the Duel, they can make the loser pay the auction price. If they don’t need the money, they can choose an item they want from our auction, and make the loser pay its price instead. Or they can simply demand compensation directly from the loser, equivalent to the price.]
Would they win and take the auctioned item, or would they lose and, instead, be forced to pay the other party a terrible price?
It was a fairly ordinary arrangement, all things considered, but that wasn’t the point of the Duel.
[However, if we leave things like this, the strong will simply take everything for themselves. So, to ensure fairness, we’ll add another rule. Before a Duel takes place, attendees may make a deal with the demon we serve.]
“!!”
[Ah, rest assured. This isn’t a permanent contract you have to enter into, but a one-time deal limited to this Duel! You offer up something precious to you, and in return, you receive power befitting the price!]
One person asked, his tone uneasy.
“Offer up ‘something precious’? What exactly does that mean?”
[Who knows? It’ll be different for every participant, won’t it?]
The clown mask chuckled as he spoke.
[In your case, for example… the heart of your beloved daughter?]
“!!”
[Ahaha. There’s no set price. The more deeply precious the thing you offer is to you, the greater the power you’ll receive in return!]
Silence fell over the hall.
They had realized what this rule meant.
How vile. Just like a demon.
I frowned.
The banquet had gone on for three whole days, and by now, the people attending had a rough idea of who the others were and how powerful they were.
And yet, they would challenge one another to a Duel?
That means they’ve offered the demon a price great enough to defeat their opponent.
Then what about the opponent?
They would have no choice but to offer the demon a price of their own.
Otherwise, they would lose.
The challenger has to factor in the possibility that their opponent will offer the demon a price, too. In the end, they’ll have to offer something even more horrifying.
This battle of wits would repeat without end, and the prices offered to the demon would grow exponentially.
They could just ignore this event and not challenge anyone—or simply refuse to accept a challenge.
But, as I said before, countless people would take part in this event.
That was just how terrible greed was.
[Now then, let’s begin! Who will be our first challenger?]
“…I’ll do it. I challenge the Hawk-Nosed Mask.”
The challenger was a Level 6 Lower Rank knight.
The Hawk-Nosed Mask, on the other hand, was a Level 6 Upper Rank mage.
They were both Level 6, but at higher levels, the gap between Lower Rank and Upper Rank was like the difference between heaven and earth.
Ordinarily, a Level 6 Lower Rank could never win—but the outcome of the Duel was the exact opposite.
The Level 6 Lower Rank challenger cut down the Level 6 Upper Rank mage.
That’s what happens when you offer the demon a horrifying price.
When blood sprayed, the atmosphere in the hall heated up.
One challenge after another followed.
The outcomes had nothing to do with whether someone was strong or weak.
Everything came down to who had offered the demon the greater price.
Ugh. I really hate this.
I shuddered in revulsion, careful not to let anyone see.
Of course, every one of the people killing and dying here was an evil bastard who deserved to die.
Even so, this kind of spectacle was simply not in my nature. I’d been an ordinary, unremarkable person.
But then—oh.
My eyes met Massacre Maniac’s.
“Hehe. Do you pity them, Master? How compassionate of you.”
She was testing me.
I was the one who had to tame her.
I ran through my options in a flash.
A conventional answer will only make her resent me.
“Yes. I pity them.”
“Hmm.”
She didn’t seem impressed.
But—
“What does a piece of trash like you care whether I pity them or not?”
“!!”
“Compassion is a privilege of the strong. It’s my choice whether I feel sorry for those worthless insects.”
“Even though you intend to trample them underfoot soon?”
“That, too, is the choice of the strong. Who can criticize me for being a hypocrite?”
Massacre Maniac’s eyes sank into a deeper, darker gaze.
It was an ordinary exchange of words, but not to her.
The strong rule. That’s the core of Massacre Maniac’s worldview.
She believed her kind had suffered because they were weak.
And so, she was trying to grow stronger and wipe out humanity.
By the very principle of the strong ruling that had been used against her kind.
“Hehe. You’re right. The world belongs to the strong, and they shape it to their will. I’ll remember your words, Master.”
Massacre Maniac looked at me with interest.
Thankfully, it seemed I hadn’t given the wrong answer. But her gaze on me had grown deeper, as though she were looking at prey that had become just a little more appetizing, and it sent a shiver down my spine.
Meanwhile, Duchess Beth, who had overheard what I’d said, snorted.
“What nonsense are you spouting? Have you gone mad?”
“Learn to show your master some proper respect.”
“Oh-ho-ho. Of course. You’ll regret that.”
In the meantime, the atmosphere in the arena reached its peak.
At last, the highlight arrived.
[All right! Thank you for your enthusiastic support, everyone! The Dark Auction can’t just sit back and watch, either. We’ll put up a special prize: the Auction Wish Ticket!]
“!!”
[The final winner can demand anything they want from the Dark Auction! Now, let’s hear that thunderous applause!]
It was an incredible prize.
They couldn’t forcibly take an item their opponent had won at auction or anything like that, but they could ask for a treasure belonging to the Auction instead. There was no one who wouldn’t be tempted.
Sure enough, the eyes of countless people changed.
“I’ll enter.”
“I can’t afford to give up, either.”
Even those who had sat firmly in their seats until now began to move.
Level Seven Superpowerhouses fought Duels one after another.
To think Level Seven Masters, so rare that you could scarcely find a single one outside, were fighting Duels right there before me.
It was a truly rare sight, but I couldn’t sit back and enjoy the Duels in peace.
Not with the “incident” I was about to cause.
Before long, the final winner was decided.
[All right! The Tiger Mask is victorious! Anyone else care to challenge them?!]
No one else stepped forward.
They had realized the Tiger Mask’s true identity.
The Gluttony Demon.
A Level Seven Upper Rank fighter, a superpowerhouse who had reached the Master Realm.
Despite belonging to no group, the Gluttony Demon was so powerful that no one dared lay a hand on him.
[All right, I’ll count to five! If there’s a challenger, step forward! One, two, three…!]
At that moment—
A weighty voice rang out.
“I challenge you.”
“!!”
A deathly silence fell over the hall.
Because the person who had just spoken was none other than “me.”
The operation had begun.